Background and Study
STUDY GUIDE Man of Wonders
by Dave Mullins
MARK 1:29-34 / SEPTEMBER 30, 2012
Background and Study Jesus leaves the synagogue with James and John. He heads with them to the home of Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. One of the things that strikes me right out of the gate in these verses is the way we see community in the culture and life of Jesus. As he finishes his teaching and confrontation with the demon, in the verses we studied last week, he doesn’t go off by himself. He joins his disciples in community. Another thing that I notice in this passage is that they go to the home of Simon and Andrew. These are adult brothers living in the same home. Simon at least is married since Jesus is about to heal his mother-in-law. In the culture this was not uncommon. In some middle eastern cultures today it is not uncommon for extended families to live in the same building. How important is community and relationships to Jesus? Why do you think that it is? What do you think Jesus got out of community? For many of us, it seems, community is a far different thing. We may spend a couple of hours with people outside our immediate family each week. How much time do you spend really living life with people outside your immediate family each week? How important is a deep extended community to you? Does your time and energy investment in that kind of community match the level of importance you place on it? Why or why not? As Jesus enters the home He is met with need. Maybe He had in mind to go relax and have some down time with these new friends. Maybe He was thinking after the time of ministry this family would minister to Him. Do you find it difficult sometimes to minister to those closest to you? Why is it sometimes hard to serve those close
to us when we serve others more easily? Where do you turn when you are really in need? What impact does it have on you when those you expect to care and help won’t or can’t help? When Jesus is told about her he went in to see her, took her by the hand and helped her up. The New International Version of the Bible says that the fever left her. A more accurate translation is that the fever forsook her. Some scholars believe that this fever was the result of some kind of spiritual issue. One of the accepted beliefs in the first century was that sickness and disease were the result of sin. How much tie-in do you think there is between our spiritual health and our physical health? Read James 5:13-17. Does this mean that all sickness is because of sin in our lives? Read John 9:1-6. Why does Jesus say this man was born blind? Do you see any ties between these two passages? There may be a great deal about this that we don’t know. What can we be certain of from these three passages? When Peter’s mother-in-law was healed she began to wait on them. In a healthy community, we see that everyone’s needs are addressed. Jesus brings into this home what only He can bring. This woman upon being healed gives what she has to the community. Some of Jesus’ needs are met by the gifts that this woman brings. Her response to Jesus healing her is to serve the community that is gathered there. Read Acts 2:42-47. What do you notice about the community that we see in the early church? Would you like to be a part of a community like that? Are you a part of a community like that? Is our church like that? Why or why not? The next thing we see is that the larger community that surrounds them comes with their needs. The passage does
E AST 91 ST STR E E T C H R I ST I A N C H U R C H • w w w.east 91 st .o rg
not tell us what anyone but Jesus did as the whole town gathered outside the door. We do see Jesus heal many and cast out many demons. Do you think that His time within the house with his disciples and their families ministered to Jesus? What impact do you think it might have had? It seems to me that through this healthy community that they not only had what they needed, but then were able to minister to the larger community around them. Does your life group, ABF’s, men’s group, women’s group or other community group show this ability to not only minister to each other but to the larger community around you? How are you putting those resources to use?
Thoughts from the Sermon The first of Rick’s points this week is that life and ministry is messy. How would you respond to the needs Jesus faced in this passage? On a scale of 1 to 10 how much energy for ministry do you currently have? Why do you think that is? One of the things that strikes me in Mark’s account of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law is that He isn’t asked to heal her. Mark simply says that they told Him about her. He
then acted. Jesus is proactive in dealing with the need. How aware are you to the needs around you? How proactive are you in helping with those needs? When is it better to be proactive? When or is it ever better to wait to be asked for help? One of the key words that Rick talked about Sunday was compassion. Compassion goes far beyond feeling badly for someone. It carries the idea of suffering with the person or bearing their suffering with them. When have you experienced compassion from someone else? How is it different from someone having sympathy for you? Rick’s second point was that we have to be filled up in order to be poured out. How do you refill your tank for ministry? Have you ever come to the place that you were drained of the ability to minister? Thinking through those times were there opportunities to recharge that you missed? What can be learned from those moments? Because life and ministry are messy, how important is it to make sure you stay charged up? Rick’s last key word was strength. What resources has God made available to you in order that you might stay strong? How effectively and intentionally are you making use of those resources? What keeps you from making the most of them?
E AST 91 ST STR E E T C H R I ST I A N C H U R C H • w w w.east 91 st .o rg
by Dave Mullins
MARK 1:29-34 / SEPTEMBER 30, 2012
Background and Study Jesus leaves the synagogue with James and John. He heads with them to the home of Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. One of the things that strikes me right out of the gate in these verses is the way we see community in the culture and life of Jesus. As he finishes his teaching and confrontation with the demon, in the verses we studied last week, he doesn’t go off by himself. He joins his disciples in community. Another thing that I notice in this passage is that they go to the home of Simon and Andrew. These are adult brothers living in the same home. Simon at least is married since Jesus is about to heal his mother-in-law. In the culture this was not uncommon. In some middle eastern cultures today it is not uncommon for extended families to live in the same building. How important is community and relationships to Jesus? Why do you think that it is? What do you think Jesus got out of community? For many of us, it seems, community is a far different thing. We may spend a couple of hours with people outside our immediate family each week. How much time do you spend really living life with people outside your immediate family each week? How important is a deep extended community to you? Does your time and energy investment in that kind of community match the level of importance you place on it? Why or why not? As Jesus enters the home He is met with need. Maybe He had in mind to go relax and have some down time with these new friends. Maybe He was thinking after the time of ministry this family would minister to Him. Do you find it difficult sometimes to minister to those closest to you? Why is it sometimes hard to serve those close
to us when we serve others more easily? Where do you turn when you are really in need? What impact does it have on you when those you expect to care and help won’t or can’t help? When Jesus is told about her he went in to see her, took her by the hand and helped her up. The New International Version of the Bible says that the fever left her. A more accurate translation is that the fever forsook her. Some scholars believe that this fever was the result of some kind of spiritual issue. One of the accepted beliefs in the first century was that sickness and disease were the result of sin. How much tie-in do you think there is between our spiritual health and our physical health? Read James 5:13-17. Does this mean that all sickness is because of sin in our lives? Read John 9:1-6. Why does Jesus say this man was born blind? Do you see any ties between these two passages? There may be a great deal about this that we don’t know. What can we be certain of from these three passages? When Peter’s mother-in-law was healed she began to wait on them. In a healthy community, we see that everyone’s needs are addressed. Jesus brings into this home what only He can bring. This woman upon being healed gives what she has to the community. Some of Jesus’ needs are met by the gifts that this woman brings. Her response to Jesus healing her is to serve the community that is gathered there. Read Acts 2:42-47. What do you notice about the community that we see in the early church? Would you like to be a part of a community like that? Are you a part of a community like that? Is our church like that? Why or why not? The next thing we see is that the larger community that surrounds them comes with their needs. The passage does
E AST 91 ST STR E E T C H R I ST I A N C H U R C H • w w w.east 91 st .o rg
not tell us what anyone but Jesus did as the whole town gathered outside the door. We do see Jesus heal many and cast out many demons. Do you think that His time within the house with his disciples and their families ministered to Jesus? What impact do you think it might have had? It seems to me that through this healthy community that they not only had what they needed, but then were able to minister to the larger community around them. Does your life group, ABF’s, men’s group, women’s group or other community group show this ability to not only minister to each other but to the larger community around you? How are you putting those resources to use?
Thoughts from the Sermon The first of Rick’s points this week is that life and ministry is messy. How would you respond to the needs Jesus faced in this passage? On a scale of 1 to 10 how much energy for ministry do you currently have? Why do you think that is? One of the things that strikes me in Mark’s account of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law is that He isn’t asked to heal her. Mark simply says that they told Him about her. He
then acted. Jesus is proactive in dealing with the need. How aware are you to the needs around you? How proactive are you in helping with those needs? When is it better to be proactive? When or is it ever better to wait to be asked for help? One of the key words that Rick talked about Sunday was compassion. Compassion goes far beyond feeling badly for someone. It carries the idea of suffering with the person or bearing their suffering with them. When have you experienced compassion from someone else? How is it different from someone having sympathy for you? Rick’s second point was that we have to be filled up in order to be poured out. How do you refill your tank for ministry? Have you ever come to the place that you were drained of the ability to minister? Thinking through those times were there opportunities to recharge that you missed? What can be learned from those moments? Because life and ministry are messy, how important is it to make sure you stay charged up? Rick’s last key word was strength. What resources has God made available to you in order that you might stay strong? How effectively and intentionally are you making use of those resources? What keeps you from making the most of them?
E AST 91 ST STR E E T C H R I ST I A N C H U R C H • w w w.east 91 st .o rg
